Inmates, California officials warn prisons crowded

[Peikko 1,575]

I sometimes think that people who wish prisoners to be treated more harshly forget that prisons have to be managed. I am not sure how you think people would work in the conditions some of you seem to feel is appropriate.

Beyond that, I can't understand this attitude of wishing to think up horrible punishments for certain types of criminal. Does it somehow make you feel better about your own standards and morals to think about how to punish other human beings in nasty ways? I don't think anyone who conducts a normal life has to worry about committing these type of crimes, you aren't going to go off the rails and do something like that so feeling irrationally sickened by certain behaviour really doesn't make you a better person.

[Fandango 1,439]

I sometimes think that people who wish prisoners to be treated more harshly forget that prisons have to be managed. I am not sure how you think people would work in the conditions some of you seem to feel is appropriate.

Beyond that, I can't understand this attitude of wishing to think up horrible punishments for certain types of criminal. Does it somehow make you feel better about your own standards and morals to think about how to punish other human beings in nasty ways? I don't think anyone who conducts a normal life has to worry about committing these type of crimes, you aren't going to go off the rails and do something like that so feeling irrationally sickened by certain behaviour really doesn't make you a better person.

Well, I personally don't have any problems sleeping at night knowing that child molesters get abused on a semi-daily basis.

eta: that bit in red doesn't even make sense

Edited February 16, 2007 by LisaD

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I don't agree that 11 grams of pot should have you in prison for life. That's just ridiculous.

But child molesters, for instance, are the scum of the earth and will never be rehabbed.....like deadpool said. IMO they deserve to be raped daily with a splintery broom handle.

scum of the earth! worth saying again. That guy in the article is lucky he's not in a prison in another country & that he has the protection he does here.

cruel and unusual...ffffs

Agree 100%

[Peikko 1,575]

My point was, most people in society don't contemplate these types of crimes. To have irrational hatred of certain types of criminal might possibly stem from someone who has an underlying fear that they are like that in some way. Why else would you hate something like that in the abstract? I am not saying it's a behaviour that should be approved of, just not hated in some extreme way, it just seems unreasonable to me.

[Fandango 1,439]

My point was, most people in society don't contemplate these types of crimes. To have irrational hatred of certain types of criminal might possibly stem from someone who has an underlying fear that they are like that in some way. Why else would you hate something like that in the abstract? I am not saying it's a behaviour that should be approved of, just not hated in some extreme way, it just seems unreasonable to me.

I think you're watching too much Oprah

[Peikko 1,575]

Huh? I never watch Oprah, silly woman.

[Peikko 1,575]

I just think maybe you people who believe in extreme forms of punishment somehow think you are better than people who believe in prisons that at least pay lip service to humanitarian principles. It's really odd to me that somehow to be an upright citizen you have to vilify certain types of criminal behaviour. This type of behaviour is indeed unacceptable, and perpetrators should be taken out of society, but beyond that meeting out the eye for an eye stuff well, I don't think it makes you superior in any way.

[Scott & Lai 12]

I sometimes think that people who wish prisoners to be treated more harshly forget that prisons have to be managed. I am not sure how you think people would work in the conditions some of you seem to feel is appropriate.

Beyond that, I can't understand this attitude of wishing to think up horrible punishments for certain types of criminal. Does it somehow make you feel better about your own standards and morals to think about how to punish other human beings in nasty ways? I don't think anyone who conducts a normal life has to worry about committing these type of crimes, you aren't going to go off the rails and do something like that so feeling irrationally sickened by certain behaviour really doesn't make you a better person.

Feeling sickened by murder, rape, molestation, etc. is irrational?? And please, spare us the pop-psychology "displacement" theories...my hatred of such foul behaviour in no way stems from any fear that I might be like that

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I sometimes think that people who wish prisoners to be treated more harshly forget that prisons have to be managed. I am not sure how you think people would work in the conditions some of you seem to feel is appropriate.

Beyond that, I can't understand this attitude of wishing to think up horrible punishments for certain types of criminal. Does it somehow make you feel better about your own standards and morals to think about how to punish other human beings in nasty ways? I don't think anyone who conducts a normal life has to worry about committing these type of crimes, you aren't going to go off the rails and do something like that so feeling irrationally sickened by certain behaviour really doesn't make you a better person.

Feeling sickened by murder, rape, molestation, etc. is irrational?? And please, spare us the pop-psychology "displacement" theories...my hatred of such foul behaviour in no way stems from any fear that I might be like that

You hit the nail on the head. Remember..

"A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel. "

-Barry Goldwater

[Fandango 1,439]

Huh? I never watch Oprah, silly woman.

Well you sound like you do

I think most people are disgusted with certain criminals because of the nature of their crimes...not out of some strange fear that one day they are similar is some way.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Huh? I never watch Oprah, silly woman.

Well you sound like you do

I think most people are disgusted with certain criminals because of the nature of their crimes...not out of some strange fear that one day they are similar is some way.

Love the sinner, hate the sin. That's the difference. I'm disgusted with the crime, but IMO, a person doesn't become any less human because of what they do. It's a lot easier to 'hate' someone for what they did, rather than hating what they did, but hopefully we've progessed in our understanding of humanity.

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

I'm disgusted with the crime, but IMO, a person doesn't become any less human because of what they do. It's a lot easier to 'hate' someone for what they did, rather than hating what they did, but hopefully we've progessed in our understanding of humanity.

jeffrey dahmer would be proud of you.

[Peikko 1,575]

Feeling sickened to the point where you wish to victimise the criminals is irrational. It doesn't make your dislike of the behaviour more valid than someone who would deal with these criminals in a more humanitarian manner.

Of course, somehow you probably believe that dealing with them in a humanitarian manner is somehow a danger to yourself and society. However, 'Liberal' thinking does not breed this type of criminal any more than any other type of thinking does. If American society, by some miralculous change in policy, decided to make the prison system somewhat akin to the conditions you seem to espouse, there wouldn't be a sudden dramatic reduction of this type of criminal activity. They don't operate on the assumption that they won't get caught and put in prison so how on earth is this going to change anything except people's common humanity?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'm disgusted with the crime, but IMO, a person doesn't become any less human because of what they do. It's a lot easier to 'hate' someone for what they did, rather than hating what they did, but hopefully we've progessed in our understanding of humanity.

jeffrey dahmer would be proud of you.

The only person I care about being proud of me showed me this truth. Even though the concept is over 2,000 years old, you demonstrate just how radical it is for us to grasp.

[Alex+R 0]

I'm disgusted with the crime, but IMO, a person doesn't become any less human because of what they do. It's a lot easier to 'hate' someone for what they did, rather than hating what they did, but hopefully we've progessed in our understanding of humanity.

jeffrey dahmer would be proud of you.

The only person I care about being proud of me showed me this truth. Even though the concept is over 2,000 years old, you demonstrate just how radical it is for us to grasp.

I'm not exactly on the Jesus train, but that concept is what Human Rights is all about. People who can't understand that concept should not be in charge of big decisions. Luckily, in the developed world they usually aren't. (Except some higher up US gov't officials )